Evidence supports that there are many benefits to playing board games in the classroom. Children learn best through hands on opportunity and through play. By incorporating board games into lesson plans the information students learned can be reinforced, students aptitude can be assessed and classmates can work on team building skills.

In this article I will share about a few of our favorite board games that focus on literacy and mathematics. These games are great for in the classroom or at home for family board game night. All these games will be available to test out at the next free family board game nights; see schedule at the bottom of the article for more information.

Details: Story Craze brings to light the fun of storytelling. Imaginations can run wild with Story Craze; a witty and crazy game centered around storytelling. This new educational storytelling game brings to light Children’s imaginations to create outrageous laugh-out loud stories. The game includes four decks of category cards (People, Places, Things, and Judges) which teams use to write a three-chapter story. To begin, one member of each team draws a category card and grabs a pencil and a piece of paper from the story pad to start creating Chapter 1 of their team’s story. All four categories must be incorporated in the 10 minute brainstorming session. When time runs out, the teams read their chapters out loud and reenact their story in front of a judge, who then chooses the winner based on which chapter is most like the card. The winning team is awarded one point, and the teams repeat this process for Chapter 2 and Chapter 3. A new judge is selected for each Chapter reading. If there is a tie, then a fourth tie-breaker round will be played.

Details: The race is on with this exciting version of the classic hidden word puzzle–it turns a solitary activity into a fun group word game as players go on a word search. Rotate the specially-designed circular board to reveal the word that the players will race to find on this turn. Everyone plays at once, and the first player to locate the word marks it with see-through colored tiles. With twists and turns that allow players to remove tiles played by competitors, Wordsearchers find the hidden word puzzles make a great game for kids and families to play together (and to boggle their minds with!). The player with the most tiles on the board at the end wins. For 2-4 players, ages 7 and up. You can even Create your own custom Wordsearch cards with the online Puzzle Generator. It’s super quick and easy! Visit http://www.wordsearch.eu and enter up to 20 of your own unique words to generate a customized puzzle board, and then download and print. The word combinations are endless! Create hours of fun for the whole family with the Wordsearch Puzzle Generator.

Details: Challenge your component and your mind with Make 7, the STEM game with an exciting twist that always adds up to fun! Players take turns dropping one of their tiles down any slot on the console. Players only have to remember one rule: a 3 can only be placed so it lands in a RED square, 1s and 2s can go anywhere! The first player to get their color tiles to Make 7 in ANY direction wins!

Details: This fun strategy game challenges players abstract thinking and problem solving. To play the game one player at a time drops a shape into the game board drop zone. Players earn points when a shape reaches its landing point or touches a bonus circle. Sounds easy enough…there’s a twist. You don’t want to break a landing rule! The shape you dropped is not allowed to be touching matching shapes or colors after it lands. If you break a landing rule, you go away empty handed. The player or team with the most points at the end of the game wins.

Details: This game is great for many reasons. 1) Literacy – Kids make picture/word associations. 2) Social Skills – Children use simple strategy and decision making. 30 Imagination – Kids express themselves without words. This game takes you on a fun adventure where Pete the Cat and his friends have to work together to get the missing cupcakes back from Grumpy Toad. Players collect colorful cupcakes as they sing songs, act out physical activities, and identify favorite animals, foods and words in this fun board game. It is a game of luck, memory, and cooperation that changes every time it is played.

Details: Come out and test some fun board games great for the classroom and at home. Teachers are welcome and can enter to win Story Craze & Drop It for their classroom. $4 fill a cup Sweet Frog special!

Family Board Game Library at Escape Velocity

Date: May 25-27, 2018

Time: All Day

Location: Escape Velocity Convention at The Gaylord in National Harbor

Details: Come out and enjoy a fun filled day at the Museum of the Science Fictions annual convention Escape Velocity, dedicated to making science and technology fun! Check out the amazing Video! The Playful Parent will have a collection of board games available to check out and test! More information

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The Playful Parent

The Playful Parent was created in 2016 as a blog to share the joys and craziness of parenting. The founder of The Playful Parent is a full time domestic energizer and has a Bachelors from Marymount University and a Masters in Clinical Counseling from Johns Hopkins University.

Due to COVID these events have been postponed. For now kits can be picked up at participating locations.

Date: 1st Saturday of each month

January – Mini Hockey Game

February- Heart Strings Craft

March- Binocular

April- Recycle Truck

May- Mirror Vanity

June- Tool Ben

July- Soccer Goal

August- Locker

September- Crane

October- Ladder Truck

November- Battle Ship or Elf Ornament

December- Cookie Tray

January 2021- ATM

Time: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Location: HOME DEPOT – WALDORF

Details: Create your own wooden project each month. All Kids Workshop attendees must be accompanied by a parent or adult at all times. All kids get to keep their craft, receive a FREE certificate of achievement, a Workshop Apron and a commemorative pin while supplies last.

ABOUT THE CREATOR OF THE PLAYFUL PARENT

The Playful Parent was created by Kristy a mother of two energetic boys. She has a Bachelors degree with a interest in Secondary Education and Masters in Clinical Community Counseling from Johns Hopkins University. “I believe that children learn through play! I love to do fun things with my children and hope that sharing our adventures provides other families with inspiration and resources that lead to quality time together and a love for learning!” This non profit 501c3 organization was started so parents would have a family friendly place to come to, feel supported and leave with information that is useful. This site is kept advertisement and influence free in order to keep the site from clutter and bias opinion. Your support, feedback, likes and comments are essential; this site was designed to connect the community. The Playful Parent offers resources such as guides, calendars and ideas for making learning fun. In addition, TPP is present in the community and hosts a handful of events to support SOMD in raising healthy families.